Cat-and-mouse asteroid nears Earth

Reuters ^ | January 3, 2003

[Dog Gone]

An asteroid playing a cat-and-mouse game with Earth will pull to its closest point in almost a century on Monday before swinging away for another 95 years, NASA said in a statement.

Asteroid 2002 AA29 is like a mouse teasing a cat, approaching Earth first on one side and then on another, without ever making contact or actually passing our planet as the two bodies circle the sun, the astronomers said on Thursday.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

That's pretty weird. I'm having a little trouble picturing what's going on. A graphic would really help. But it's a real interesting store nonetheless.

[ClearCase_guy]

This particular asteroid ... never manages to pass [the Earth]
Right now ... our planet is catching up.
the asteroid ... will begin to pull ahead.

Indecisive asteroids.

[The_Victor]

I was just preparing to post this. Check out the orbit of this asteroid.

[commish]

So bsically what we have here is an Asteroid with a Restrictor Plate. It can sling shot around the earth, but can't complete the pass without a drafting partner.

[ClearCase_guy]

Slinky the asteroid.

[Dog Gone]

Wow. That's not how I was envisioning it at all.

I was just reading at Space.com how this asteroid was a moon to Earth in 572 AD, and will be again in 2575 AD.

[Centurion2000]

Beware the spirograph Asteroid :)

[Dog Gone]

That's probably the best description of all time, LOL.

[The_Victor]

Here is the original JPL press release.

[RightWhale]

This particular asteroid is the first ever found to orbit the sun in nearly the same path as Earth

There was another last year, or maybe it was the same one. Earth's second moon. Except that Cruithne is already earth's second moon, which makes this either the 3rd or the 4th moon of earth.

[rintense]

Geez. Based in that graphic, they should name the comet Russian Roulette.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

[rintense]

That should be based ON that graphic. Is it Friday yet? ;)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Thanks, this helps a lot, I was having trouble visualizing what's going on here. Pretty wild!

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

How can such an odd projected path be 100%. Are there not factors that could throw it off?

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Good stuff!

[The_Victor]

There is an animated GIF (1.4Mb, too big to link directly) at the JPL website, but it doesn't look anything like (to me at least) the above graphic.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

CLICK HERE

[WL-law]

Riddle me this -- how can the earth's gravity "repel" the asteroid -- an object with mass, BTW -- as this story states?